11 Al-Shabaab terrorists killed, seven injured as security team disrupts planned attack in Mandera

Eleven Al-Shabaab terrorists were on Sunday killed and seven others seriously injured following an intelligence-led operation targeting a makeshift camp near the Kenya-Somalia border. The operation, carried out by the Special Operations Group (SOG) team, involved a ground assault supported by aerial support after intelligence indicated that the terrorists, who numbered about 30 fighters, were preparing to carry out a terror attack in one of the border villages in Mandera County. The Counter Terrorism Policing Authority confirmed that the early morning operation led to the killing of 11 terrorists, while seven extremists sustained serious injuries during the assault. Security forces also recovered three PKM guns and about 409 rounds of ammunition from the camp during the operation. Following the attack, the Authority said the remaining terrorists retreated into Somalia. The operation comes days after a senior Al-Shabaab commander was captured during a military operation conducted by Somali special forces near the Kenya-Somalia border. The operation was carried out in Baghdad town, about 42 kilometres outside Hosingow in Somalia’s Sub Sector Central, an area located towards the Kenyan border. The commander was arrested alive during the counter-terrorism operation, while three other suspected Al-Shabaab militants were killed. Security agencies reported that the suspected commander was captured as part of efforts to disrupt Al-Shabaab activities near the border. Items recovered during the operation included an assault rifle, tactical gear, several mobile phones and documents believed to belong to the militant group. The suspected Al-Shabaab leader was reportedly on his way to Kenya alongside other suspected militants and was close to entering the country when they were ambushed. The operations are part of continued efforts by Kenyan and Somali security forces to dismantle Al-Shabaab networks operating in areas near the Kenya-Somalia border. Al-Shabaab has continued to carry out attacks in Somalia and Kenya, prompting security agencies to maintain heightened operations along the border.